The Crème de la Crème of Celebrity-chef Restaurants in Sydney

Sydney is a city of foodies. With world-class cafes and restaurants in reach, our standards are high and our tastebuds are curious. Our love affair with food is fuelled by the rise in cooking shows, so it’s no surprise that some of Australia’s best and brightest celebrity-chefs have chosen Sydney as their sounding board. From brunch spots to fancy fine dining restaurants, we can enjoy delicious dishes created by some of the most famous names in food.

Treat yourself to a meal at the crème de la crème of celebrity-chef restaurants in Sydney.

Luke Nguyen’s Red Lantern is the world’s most awarded Vietnamese restaurant. Yes, the world’s! Aren’t we lucky? It’s also a feast for the senses, with a buzzy vibe, French colonial décor, and a focus on regional, vibrant Vietnamese food. While anything you order is guaranteed to be good, the Lucky Lunch, Saigon Scrumptious and Hanoi Hunger are great value. There are plenty of vegetarian options (including a dedicated tasting menu), and when dessert rolls around, the coconut crème caramel is a must.

Making the World’s 50 Best Restaurants List since 2009, Quay is helmed by celebrity chef Peter Gilmore. The menu is inventive and nature-focused, and the dishes that sail out of his kitchen are truly works of art. To sample a bit of everything, opt for the tasting menu or the three- or four-course degustation. Be sure to make a reservation quick as the restaurant will close for major renovations from 19th March for three months.

On the other side of Circular Quay, Gilmore reopened the Sydney’s Opera House’s Bennelong with a menu showcasing seasonal, local produce. Sample his delicious fare through his a la carte, cured and cultured, theatre and supper menus. True to form, you cannot go past his dessert creations. Our favourite, the architecturally exquisite pavlova.

For a more relaxed experience, head to Chiswick, Matt Moran's Woollahra bistro is where the slow-cooked Moran family lamb reigns supreme. Sourcing produce from their on-site kitchen garden and the Moran family farm in the Central Tablelands, you're guaranteed the food is fresh and seasonal.

When you want to really impress a date or out-of-towners, you can’t go past Aria, a two-hatted restaurant just steps away from the Opera House. It’s Matt Moran’s baby, and his paddock-to-plate philosophy is obvious in every dish, which are full of flavour and impeccably presented, and the menu changes with the seasons. The Chopping Block chef’s desserts are divine, too.

In the swanky Establishment Hotel, renowned chef Peter Doyle has been serving up fine dining dishes for est. for years. The Australian-French fusion menu is creative and driven by local, seasonal ingredients, and best enjoyed via the two-, three- or four-course Chef’s Menus. The dramatic space, with its floor-to-ceiling white columns, sets the scene for the award-winning dining experience, and the service secures it. To take your meal up a notch, pair your plates with the matching wines.

The Establishment, 252 George Street, Sydney

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A household name thanks to Qantas and stints on LifeStyle Food and MasterChef, Neil Perry, Rockpool Dining Group's Culinary Director, is known for curating great food. Let’s start with Rockpool, a two-hatted fine dining restaurant in a stunning Art Deco building. It’s known for its woodfired steaks and seafood, but if you’re feeling indulgent, go for the eight-course tasting menu.

For modern Asian food with a serious chilli hit, Spice Temple is a striking space that’s great for yum cha. Being one of Sydney's most awarded Chinese restaurants, you're guaranteed the food is going to be really good. The dishes here are designed to be shared banquet style, so order one of their signature dishes, or opt for the Golden Banquet or The Dynasty Banquet.

Opening earlier this year, Jade Temple is all about contemporary Cantonese cuisine paired with an innovative cocktail selection. With interiors that nod to Asia's British colonial past, all respect is paid to the traditions of Cantonese cuisine. Dishes are best shared banquet style and if you're coming for lunch have a good look in at the yum cha offering or forever regret it.

New on the scene, Rosetta Ristorante is a sophisticated Italian restaurant with a range of classic and modern menu favourites. Boasting stunning harbour views, Rosetta is located in the Harry Seidler designed Grosvenor Place in The Rocks. The full dining experience is a must, but the Terrace and Bar delivers tenfold on its select menu and drink offering.

Luke Mangan has the midas touch – and it only takes one meal at his restaurants to prove that. The chef and restaurateur runs the upscale Glass Brasserie. It’s a foodie favourite for its seven-course degustation, featuring fresh, local produce cooked using French techniques, plus the lust-worthy interiors are amazing.

After an apprenticeship under Neil Perry, Kylie Kwong branched out on her own and never looked back, publishing five cookbooks, appearing in three TV series, and heading up her Potts Point spot, Billy Kwong. The Australian-Chinese restaurant is inventive, and in true Kwong style, every plate features locally grown produce. The upbeat venue is designed to look like a traditional Chinese eating house, complete with an open kitchen. It’s on the smaller side and doesn’t take bookings, so get there early to score a spot.

Do you have a sweet tooth? You’ll love Koi, another MasterChef spin-off and the brainchild of Reynold Poernomo (from the 2015 season). The Indonesian-inspired dessert bar serves up some of the most delectable desserts we’ve seen, such as the ‘Co Co Nut Nut’: caramelised pineapple with palm sugar, burnt butter crumble, hot vanilla yoghurt and guava sorbet. The downstairs section is casual, and upstairs is a little fancier.

Right next door to Koi, the Poernomo brothers have opened a small, yet sophisticated, cocktail bar. It has fast become one of Sydney's most talked about new bars, and to find out why, you only need to try one of their bold Asian-inspired cocktails. Want something to nibble on while sipping on your cocktail? Add one of their creative savory small plates to the order and you're set.

When Finland’s most famous celebrity chef, Tomi Bjorck, made the move to Sydney, we knew we were in for a treat. And we were – after stints at Quay and Longrain, he opened up Blanca Bar & Dining in Bondi. The menu is made for sharing, and meshes European, Nordic and Japanese flavours for a truly unique result. There are six different degustations to choose from, including three vegetarian ones.

Sydney’s breakfast culture is strong, and Bill Granger can take part of the credit for that. He burst onto the scene with Bills in Darlinghurst back in 1993, and now has eight cookbooks and two TV series to his name, as well as outposts in Bondi, Surry Hills, London, Tokyo, Seoul and Waikiki. While his sweet corn fritters and ricotta pancakes with honeycomb butter made him famous, the lunch and dinner menus are just as good.